Luxembourg American Cultural Society Tours

Even though it’s officially one of the smallest countries in the world, Luxembourg has a grandiose history of warfare, politics, ruling parties, art, architecture, and beer. In the 1800s, when Luxembourg was in political turmoil and farms were barely yielding enough crops for local families to survive, thousands of families, lured by cheap land, moved to America in the hopes of building new and prosperous lives. Today the area between Milwaukee and Sheboygan houses one of the largest Luxembourgish populations outside of Europe, and is home to the small but fascinating Luxembourg American Cultural Society.

Opened to the public in 2009, the society is housed in an historic barn built in 1872, which Jacob Mamer, an immigrant from Luxembourg, constructed in the traditional style. When visiting the cultural society today, visitors can admire the collection of artifacts that represents one of the world’s largest collections of Luxembourg history and culture, and access genealogical records to see if your ancestors may have had to ties to Europe’s illustrious Grand Duchy.

Practical Info

The Luxeumbourg American Cultural Society is open by appointment only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. There is a small gift shop full of Luxembourgish gifts, and visitors can expect to spend about an hour—more if conducting research.

Did You Know? Luxumbourgers chose Wisconsin as the place to settle in America, because the farmland, climate, and landscape were similar to their plots of land back in Europe.

Explore immigrant history and the most extensive Luxembourger genealogical database in the United States with admission to the Luxembourg American Cultural Center in Belgium, Wisconsin, that includes a self-guided audio tour. Learn about the challenges that faced new arrivals to the American Midwest, why they left one of the smallest nations in the world, and how some Luxembourgers are returning to Europe.